University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry - Bushwacker Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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at Q , f , I It 0.5-ii!! St, ONE HUNDRED YEARS The one hundredth anniversary of den- tistry as a profession was celebrated in Bal- timore, Maryland, March 18, 19 and 20. Those attending the celebration were im- pressed by the carefully planned events which depicted the history of our profession in an interesting and realistic manner. An histor- ical eXhibit from each dental college in the United States, and from various other organi- zations which were in possession of equip- ment and instruments, represented every peri- od of development in the dental profession. One of the features was a dramatic produc- tion entitled THE WILDERNESS. This epitomization of dentistry began with the revolutionary period when the average prac- titioner was an itinerant, untrained individ- ual, with a limited knowledge of dentistry. With few exceptions, these men were engaged in other vocations: some were barbers, some were blacksmiths, and others were tool makers and silversmiths. As the years passed there were those who recognized the need of a more dignified and acceptable health service, and through their persistent study and research. higher ideals were developed. It is difficult for the average person to realize the rapid and intensive strides that our profession has made in the relatively short time of one hundred years. Compared to medicine, which has been recognized as a heal- ing art and science for over three thousand years-dentistry is a mere infant. But the March of Time of Dentistry is character- ized by unprecedented steps of progress in the field of human endeavor. Dentistry since 1839-1840 presents an in- teresting romance in the achievement of mod- ern thought and development. As an art it has been practiced in various forms as far back as we have record of human history, but the founding of the Baltimore College Page Twelve

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of Dental Surgery in 1840 marked the begin- ning of dentistry as a profession. A definite program of formal dental education was in- augurated that was so thoroughly impreg- nated with ideas of usefulness and with scien- tific interpretations that each year up to the present has given birth to clearer conceptions of service and responsibility, thereby advanc- ing the standards of education and practice for public benefit. J OURNAL-COLLEGE-SOCIETY In June, 1839, the first dental periodical appeared, the American Journal of Dental Science: February 1, 1840, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was chartered: and August 17, 1840, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was organized. It is said that on this tripod rests the profession of den- tistry-EDUCATION, ORGANIZATION, and LITERATURE. This sudden burst of accomplishment is truly the American way. The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery represents the first effort in history to offer institutional dental education to those antici- pating the practice of dentistry. Later col- leges of dentistry sprang up all over the coun- try, and at one time there were about seventy of them. Chicago alone had seven. Many of these schools were diploma mills but the bet- ter ones founded an organization known as the Faculties Association of American Dental Colleges. This body advanced the standards of dental education and was instrumental in having laws passed by the states to safeguard the practice of dentistry and to protect the public. These laws provided the State Boards, which gradually eliminated the diplomas from all schools except those that were mem- bers of the Faculties Association, and the Dental Faculties Association of Universities. In 1926, however, all schools that had passed the Dental Educational Council inspection united into the present organization, the American Association of Dental Schools. I should like to review briefly with you the advancement in dental education since the founding of the first dental school. The first course consisted of only sixteen weeks of lec- ture, in addition to an apprenticeship under a preceptor. Twenty-eight years later the course was advanced to two full years under a pre- ceptor and two courses of lecture during the Same period. This was a decided step and showed progress even though it came more than a quarter of a century after the first educational set-up. The next important step came eighteen years later when the period of school was advanced 'to two years of six months each, and seven years later, in 1891, it became a three-year course. Duringthis period no high school training had been required, but in 1899, when the course was lengthened by one month each year, a prerequisite requirement of one year of high school was made. Two years later the prerequisite was advanced to two years of high school. In 1902 the school year lasted thirty weeks and there was a prerequisite requirement of two years of high school. The plan to make dentistry a four-year course commencing in 1903 was abandoned after only one year. Three years later the prerequisite require- ment was advanced to three years of high school, and in 1910, a high school diploma was required. Dentistry finally became a four-year course in 1917, with a high school diploma required for entrance. Nine years later, in 1926, the Dental Educational Coun- cil of America decided that a minimum of thirty college semester hours from an accred- ited academic institution would be required for entrance. A student with sixty or more semester hours, however, could complete the dental course in three years. This was known as the 2-3 plan, and it was abandoned in 1937-38, when sixty semester hours from an accredited institution were required of all applicants, in addition to four years in dental college. THE DENT1sT's PREsENT AND F FUTURE REsPoNs1B1L1TY The student of dentistry spends half of his school time studying the biological, or med- ical, subjects, but skill in dental technic must also be developed and therein lies the main reason dentistry cannot be merged successfully with medicine. Before Dr. William J. Cuies, of the Car- negie Foundation, visited the dental schools of America with the Dental Educational Council in 1922, he probably had the thought that dental education should be made a part of medical education. After gaining a larger perspective of the field he stated def- initely that dentistry should maintain its autonomy, although he recommended higher standards in entrance requirements and better ' Page Thirteen